Sri O.S. Thyagarajan - Sept 29, 2012 - Miami concert

[maduraimini]

On Sept.29th, The Shiva Vishnu Temple of Miami presented a concert of Sri O.S. Thyagarajan, accompanied by Ms. Ranjani Ramakrishnan on the violin and Dr. S..Ramakrishnan on the Mridangam. The concert was supposed to start at 4 p.m. and all the artists were on the stage. There were very few people at that time. I went to the artist and asked him if he can sing an Ashtapathi for me.

Here is a list of the songs- All corrections welcome.

1. Vathapi Ganapathim - Hamsadhwani- Adi- Dikshitar - Niraval swaram at 'Pranava'.
2. Evarani - Devamrithavarshani- Adi- Thyagaraja
3. Seethapathe- Kamas- Deshadi- Thyagaraja- swarams after the charanam.
4. Sama gana lola- Hindolam- Adi- Papanasam sivan- Alapana, chittaswaram and swarm.
5. Evarura ninnu Vina- Mohanam- Chapu- Thyagaraja- swaram
6. Kalaharanamelara- Suddha Saveri- Roopakam- Thyagaraja- fast song and swaram
7. Bantureethi- Hamsanadam- Deshadi- Thyagaraja- niraval in Rama nama manu- Even faster song and niraval.
8. Ethavunara- Kalyani-Adi- Thyagaraja- Alapana, Niraval and swaram at 'Sri karudagu'. Thani Avarthanam by Dr.Ramakrishnan.
9. Sabapathikku - Abhogi- Roopakam- G.K.Bharathi
10. Muruga Muruga- Saveri- Mishra chapu- Periasamy thooran
11. Pashyathi- Madhuvanthi- Jayadeva Ashtapathi
12. Thillana - ( funny, I don't remember the ragam! It went very quickly.)
13. Mangalam

The concert was very good. The artists did their best to please the audience. Sri Thyagarajan's voice became better after the Hindolam. The alapana was great, with all the pathos and the low sthayee reminded of the Hindustani Malkauns. It was a long alapana, but well done. After Evarura, the songs were super fast with no breaks in between the songs. When he started the Evarura right after the Hindolam, for a minute, I thought that he was going to sing a raga malika. Kalaharanamemi was fast and very good. Bantureethi was like the Toofan Express with swarams even faster .
Kalyani was very elaborate and the ragam was explored very well. It was the main and I expected Thanam and pallavi. He could have taken up a heavier Kalyani song like Shyama Sastri's 'Himadri Suthe' , 'Birana' or Dikshitar's Navavarna kriti Kamalamamba which would have gone very well with that kind of alapana. Even Thyagaraja's Nidhi chala sukhama would have been better .
It seemed like there were too many Thyagaraja kritis. Not that I love Thyagaraja less, but that I love a mixture of different composers like Shyama Shastry, Purandara Dasa, Swathi Thirunal and Arunachala kavi . Compositions by different composers spice up a concert .
Ranjani's violin was very melodious and she followed the artist well. Her solos were very good. Her Hindolam was very appealing. So was her smile.
Dr.Ramakrishnan played very well- not like the loud noises we hear sometimes, but going along with the artist- a Pukka 'pakkavadhyam'. His Thani was wonderful.
Besides being the Math Professor at the Miami University, he is very much involved in the Miami Temple and makes CM available to the people here. He teaches Mridangam classes to youngsters and is ever present at the concerts along with his smiling wife, Padma.
Sri O.S.Thyagarajan was very amicable and was audience-oriented. When I went to thank him for the Ashtapathi, he asked me if I liked the Ashtapathi . When somebody sent him a chit to sing 'Sabapathikku', he obliged.
All in all, it was an enjoyable concert, thanks to the artists and the sponsors.


Lagudi Jayaraman's daughter Vijayalakshmi gave a violin solo concert early in Sept. and I heard it was good. I was unable to make it. Sri T.V.Sankaranarayanan is performing here next. If I get to hear him, I will write a review.

[rshankar]

Thank you for that review!

[mahavishnu]

Thanks for your review, Maduraimini.
I did not know that OST was back in the US again; he was just here a few months ago!

[Rasika911]

A very typical OST list.

I have heard a extensive kalyani by OST for an RTP recently and it was a real treat! There was a fair bit of shruthi bedham.

[hamirkalyani123]

>It seemed like there were too many Thyagaraja kritis. Not that I love Thyagaraja less, but that I love a mixture of different composers like Shyama Shastry, >Purandara Dasa, Swathi Thirunal and Arunachala kavi . Compositions by different composers spice up a concert .

That's true, but OST's stand is different on this. Recently we had a lec-dem on St. Tyagaraja by OST and he clearly stated there he wants to sing mainly Tyagaraja's compositions only for the simple reason that according to him he is the greatest composer of all times who has mixed bhava, raga, tala etc. in all his compositions. He said that Tyagaraja's compositions were centered around the things that were happening in his real life. He gave examples like he sang one when he lost Rama's idols, and when he found them he composed one (Kanugontini) and when he brought the idols back home (Rara maa inti daka) so on... He mentioned that's why there is lot of bhava in those compostions.

He said that for him Tyagaraja is the greatest composer of all times (it is not my intention to cause any debate on this topic here) and he also said all the other composers are great, but Saint Tyagaraja stands out at the top for his all round ability, and that's why he continues to sing mainly Tyagaraja's compositions always. He mentioned in my offline conversations with him that in several places such as LA, Houston etc. he sang 3 to 3:30 hrs of Saint Tyagaraja's compositions only and they were well received.

So, maduraimini, I don't think you would find any mixture of compositions in his concert. That's the impression based on his lec-dem. It appears to me that he will take up other composers based on audience request. He said in Houston someone asked him to sing MDR's piece, otherwise he had no plan to sing one

[maduraimini]

Hamirkalyani123,
Thanks for the information on why O.S.T. sings mostly Thyagaraja kritis. I have not heard about this before. Like I said, I love Thyagaraja kritis too and O.S.T. sang them very well. I was just making a statement. Thanks.

[hamirkalyani123]

No problem, maduraimini. I was just telling what I came to know so that your expectations are clear when you hear next time around